Walking beam spudder



Sept l, 1954 E. H. uPcHURcH ETAL 3,146,625

WALKING BEAM sPunDER Filed Dec. 26, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet l EZEKIEL HUPCHURCH GOEFREY W. SARGENT ATTORNEYS Sept. 1 1964 Filed Dec. 26', 1961 E. H. UPcHURcH ETAI. 3,146,625

WALKING BEAM SPUDDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENTORS EZExMEL HQEHURQH GEOFFREY W. SARGENT ATTORNEYS Sept- 1, 1964 E. H. UPcHURcH ETAL 3,146,625

WALKING BEAM SPUDDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 26, 1961 INVENTORS L 1Q UPC URCH @mz ATTORNEYS Sept- 1 1964 E. H. uPcHuRcH ETAL 3,146,625

WALKING BEAM SPUDDER Filed Dec. 26, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m l (f) ..-41

EZEKIEL H. UPCHURCH GECFFREY W. SARGENT ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,146,625 WALKING BEAM SPUDDER Ezekiel H. Upchurch, 1122 Pearl St., and Georey W. Sargent, 2805 Frederica St., both of Owensboro, Ky. Filed Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 162,038 7 Claims. (Cl. 74--43) This invention relates to cable tool drilling of wells and more particularly to improvements in the spudding beam in cable tool drilling rigs for faster tool drop and return.

Cable tool drilling of wells utilizing an up-and-down motion of the drilling tool is well known and is possibly the oldest type of well drilling methods. In modern cable tool drilling a spudding beam is reciprocated by suitable power means such as an internal combustion engine to raise and lower the tool by means of a cable which passes from the end of the spudding beam to the crown block at the top of the derrick and then down the casing to the drilling tool. Many and various constructions and arrangements for oscillating the spudding beam have been used. It is also conventional with cable tool drilling rigs to employ sand reels, calf-reels and a spudding cable reel. Such drilling rigs have been used both as more or less permanent installations and as mobile and transportable units.

We have now found that if a walking beam actuated by its own linkage and power driven by the same source of power as the spudding beam, and in timed relationship therewith, is mounted on the end of the spudding beam with tool cable motion imparted by the end of the walking beam that a faster tool drop and recovery can be obtained. We have incorporated into the driving mechanism of the walking beam resilient linkage which eliminates shock on the tool cable increasing the life of the cable and decreasing the wear on the several moving parts of the drilling rig.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cable tool drilling rig providing higher drill tool velocity.

Another object of the present invention is to incorporate with a conventional spudding beam of a cable tool drilling rig a walking beam actuated through resilient linkage to provide higher drill tool velocity; to decrease shock on the cable; to extend the life of the cable; and to decrease wear on the actuating mechanism.

Another object is to provide a cable tool drilling rig which can be used either in conventional manner or in accordance with the present invention for greater versatility of use of the rig.

Another object is to provide such a rig which may be used as a self contained mobile unit; which is durable and of long life in use; and which is relatively easy to use, repair, and maintain.

Other and further objects of the present invention will appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof.

The present invention is capable of various mechanical embodiments one of which is illustrated in the accompaning drawing and will be described hereinafter for a complete understanding of the present concept. This illustrative embodiment should `not be construed as dening or limiting the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention mounted upon a vehicle for ready mobility and showing the derrick in lowered position for transportation;

FIG. 2 is a view from above of the spudding beam and walking beam and their driving connections as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the walking beam and spudding beam and their driving connections of FIG. 1

3,146,625 Patented Sept. l, 1964 FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing in enlarged detail a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

2 FISI?. 5 is a front view of the structure shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1, and assuming that the drilling rig is 'to be portable, a chassis 10 is provided mounted upon suitable wheels 11 which can be moved in conventional manner by a suitable truck or tractor. Derrick framing 12 is secured at one end of chassis 10 and is provided with pivot 13 on which derrick 14 is mounted. Derrick 14 can be rotated above pivot 13 to the vertical position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for drilling and can be lowered to position shown in FIG. 1 for transportation.

A Samson post frame 15 is mounted on chassis 10 and supports horizontal shaft 16 upon which Sheave 17 is mounted for free rotation. Spudding beam 18 made up of arms 19 and 20 is mounted for oscillating movement on shaft 16 on bearings 21 and 22, respectively. Shaft 23 extends through 'the ends of arms 19 and 20 and supports walking beam 24 for reciprocating movement thereon. Sheave 25 is mounted for rotation on shaft 26 carried at the outer end of walking beam 24.

Spudding beam 18 and walking beam 24 are oscillated in timed sequence by mechanisms to be described hereinafter.

A suitable source of power such as an internal cornbustion engine 27 is mounted on chassis 10. Engine 27 drives shaft 28 and sprocket 29 which in turn driving through sprocket chain 30 rotates sprocket 31 driving shaft 32 and pulley 33. Sand reel 34 is mounted for rotation on shaft 35 and is rotated by chain 36 driven by sprocket 37 mounted on shaft 32. Suitable clutching mechanism, not shown, is provided at reel 34 to disengage reel 34 from its driving connections.

'Cable reel 71 is mounted on shaft 72 which is provided with bearings 73 on chassis 10. Cable reel 71 is driven by shaft through suitable gearing and clutches, not shown.

Pulley 33 drives belt 38 to rotate pulley 39 mounted on shaft 4@ which is carried by suitable bearings 41 on chassis 1t). A suitable belt tightener 42 adjusts the tension of belt 38. Gear 43 is mounted on shaft 40 and meshes with large gear 44 which is mounted on shaft 45 supported in suitable bearings 46 on chassis 10. Crank 47 is mounted on the inner end of shaft 45. Link 48 is pivoted at 49 to the end of crank 47 and the other end of link 48 is pivoted at 50 to the adjacent end of spudding beam 18.

Shaft 45 carries crank 51 on its end opposite crank 47 and outside of chassis 10. Crank 51 is disposed at an angle of approximately 60 in the direction of rotation in advance of crank 47. Link 52 is pivoted at 53 on the end of crank 51 and in turn is pivoted at 54 to the adjacent end 55 of right-angle arm 56. Arm 56 is secured on shaft 57 at 58. Shaft 57 is mounted for oscillating movement in bearings 59 and 60 carried by chassis 10. Crank 61 is secured on the opposite end of shaft 57 and cranks 51 and 61 are substantially parallel when connection rod 48 is in vertical position. Connecting rod 62 is pivoted at 63 to the end of crank 61 and passes freely through collar 64 pivoted at 65 to the end of walking beam 24 away from Sheave 25. Compression spring 66 is mounted around rod 62 and bears against collar 64 to permit resiliently opposed movement of collar 64 on rod 62.

Tool cable 67 extends from reel 71 over Sheave 17 and beneath Sheave 25 and thence upward to the top of derrick 14 over the crown block, not shown, and thence downward to the tool in conventional manner.

As seen in FIG. 4, if the rig of the present invention is to be used in a conventional manner a Sheave 68 can be mounted for rotation on shaft 69 between arms 70 in turn mounted on shaft 23. In this case cable 67 would then pass beneath sheave 68 and sheave 25 would not be used. If desired sheave 25 could be moved to position of sheave68 so that a second sheave would not be required.

As seen in FIG. 4, and assuming counter-clockwise rotation of shaft 40, arm 51 must lead arm 47 by approximately 60 for proper timing of the movement of walking beam 24. Crank 61 must be suitably positioned on shaft 57 so as to approach its lowermost position when spudding beam 18 is in its upper position and as link 48 and crank 47 pass through upper dead center. Crank 61 is adjacent its upper position when spudding beam 18 is in its lowest position as link 48 and crank 47 pass through lower dead center. The oscillation of crank 61 acting through connecting rod 62 oscillates walking beam 24 about shaft 23 in timed sequence with the movement of spudding beam 18 to provide increased velocity of movement of sheave 25 with accelerated drop of pulley 25 and accelerated lift of the tool on the downward movement of beam 18 and accelerated upward movement of sheave 25 and accelerated drop of the tool from the lowest position of beam 18.

It will be noted that the speed ratios from engine 27 to sharts 4S and 57 are progressively decreased to provide the desired speed of oscillation of spudding beam 1S and of walking beam 24. Obviously, these speeds can be selected as desired, usually by regulation of engine speed. Further, the arm and linkage connections or pitmans provided for reciprocating spudding beam 18 and walking beam 24 can take other forms than described for converting rotary motion to reciprocating or oscillating motion. Any suitable type of pitman connection can be used.

Should a sudden heavy upward pull be placed on cable 67 between sheave 25 and the crown block as by lodging of the tool in the casing, by frictional binding of the tool in the casing or the like, walking beam 24 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 23, as seen in FIG. 4, compressing spring 66 to lessen the shock upon the cable and preventing undue wear or damage to the rig.

Various other cable reels or drums may be utilized with the present construction and may be mounted on chassis where convenient -to take power through suitable clutches from any of the shafts driven by engine 27. A sand reel and a calf reel may be provided but these are not shown in the drawings to simplify the present disclosure since these are entirely conventional and form no part of the present invention.

It should now be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention in every way satises the objectives described above.

Changes in or modifications to the above described illustrative embodiment of the present invention may now be suggested without departing from the present inventive concept. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a cable drilling rig, a spudding beam, a pivot for said beam adjacent an end thereof, a walking beam pivotally mounted at the other end of said spudding beam, a shaft, motor means for rotating said shaft, an arm secured at one end of said shaft, a connecting link pivotally mounted on said arm and pivotally connected to said spudding beam, a crank secured to the other end of said shaft, a second shaft, a right-angle arm secured to an end of said second shaft, a link pivoted to said crank and to the adjacent end of said right angle arm, a second crank secured at the other end of said second shaft and a connecting rod pivoted to said second crank and pivoted to the adjacent end of said walking beam, said arm and said cranks being angularly displaced in the direction of rotation of said shafts to impart an increased velocity of reciprocating movement to the other end of said walking beam.

2. In a rig as described in claim 1, a tool cable sheave mounted for rotation on the end of said walking beam away from said spudding beam and a tool cable passing around said sheave.

3. 1n a rig as described in claim l, resilient means associated with said connecting rod opposing movement in an upward direction of the end of said walking beam away from said spudding beam.

4. In a rig as described in claim 1, said arm and said crank being displaced approximately in the direction of rotation of said shaft.

5. 1n a rig as described in claim 1, a block pivoted to said walking beam, said connecting rod being slidably mounted in said block and resilient means opposing movement of said block toward said second crank.

6, In a rig as described in claim 1, a tool cable sheave mounted for rotation on the end of said walking beam away from said spudding beam, a tool cable reel actuated by said motor means, and a tool cable wound on said reel and passing around said sheave.

7. A rig as described in claim 1, said crank and said right-angle arm imparting an oscillating movement to said second shaft, said second crank oscillating from a lower position to an upper position as said spudding beam moves from an upper position to a lower position and so disposed on said second shaft as to be adjacent its lower position when said spudding beam is in its upper position and adjacent its upper position when said spudding beam is in its lower position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 371,968 Poorman Oct. 25, 1887 1,258,952 Short d Mar. 12, 1918 1,309,842 Dayton July 15, 1919 1,319,212 Dayton et al. Oct. 21, 1919 1,591,966 Dayton July 13, 1926 

1. IN A CABLE DRILLING RIG, A SPUDDING BEAM, A PIVOT FOR SAID BEAM ADJACENT AN END THEREOF, A WALKING BEAM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SPUDDING BEAM, A SHAFT, MOTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT, AN ARM SECURED AT ONE END OF SAID SHAFT, A CONNECTING LINK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID ARM AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SPUDDING BEAM, A CRANK SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT, A SECOND SHAFT, A RIGHT-ANGLE ARM SECURED TO AN END OF SAID SECOND SHAFT, A LINK PIVOTED TO SAID CRANK AND TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID RIGHT ANGLE ARM, A SECOND CRANK SECURED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND SHAFT AND A CONNECTING ROD PIVOTED TO SAID SECOND CRANK AND PIVOTED TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID WALKING BEAM, SAID ARM AND SAID CRANKS BEING ANGULARLY DISPLACED IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID SHAFTS TO IMPART AN INCREASED VELOCITY OF RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT TO THE OTHER END OF SAID WALKING BEAM. 